Matcha Cookies with Sweet Red Bean Paste

These Matcha Anko Cookies bring together earthy matcha, sweet red bean paste, and rich chocolate chunks in a soft, chewy cookie with beautifully balanced Japanese-inspired flavors.

Ingredients

Matcha Anko Cookies are a delicious way to enjoy the classic pairing of matcha and sweet red bean paste in cookie form. The matcha gives the dough a mellow green tea flavor with a gentle bitterness, while the anko adds sweetness, moisture, and a rich, bean-paste swirl throughout each bite. Chocolate chunks are optional, but they add soft pools of chocolate that make these cookies even more satisfying.

This recipe uses simple baking ingredients, with matcha powder and red bean paste providing the signature flavor. For the best texture, the butter is browned first, then chilled until solid before being creamed with the sugars. This extra step gives the cookies a nutty depth that works especially well with the earthy matcha.

• Butter
• Milk
• Granulated cane sugar
• Light brown sugar
• Flaxafaba egg
• Vanilla
• All purpose flour
• Matcha powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Chocolate chunks
• Red bean paste

How to make Matcha Red Bean Paste Cookies

These matcha red bean paste cookies are made in a few clear steps: brown the butter, mix the dough, swirl in the anko, chill, and bake. Chilling the dough is important because it helps the cookies hold their shape and gives the flour time to hydrate. The result is a cookie with crisp edges, a tender center, and ribbons of sweet red bean paste throughout.

• Brown the butter: Add the cubed butter to a saucepan and melt it over medium heat. Stir continuously as it cooks. Once brown specks appear and the butter smells nutty, remove it from the heat right away. Transfer it to a heatproof bowl and refrigerate until solid.
• Mix the dough: Cream the chilled brown butter with the sugars until light and fluffy. Add the flaxafaba egg, milk, vanilla, and salt, then mix until combined. Sift in the flour, matcha powder, and baking soda, and mix just until the dough comes together. Fold in the chocolate chunks, if using.
• Swirl in the red bean paste: Add spoonfuls of anko around the dough and gently swirl it in with a knife or spatula. Avoid overmixing so the red bean paste remains visible in pockets and ribbons.
• Chill the dough: Cover the bowl and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 1 hour. This helps create a thicker, chewier cookie with better flavor.
• Bake: Scoop the dough into portions using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop. Place the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking tray, leaving at least 2 inches of space between each one. Bake until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look slightly underbaked.

These Matcha Anko Cookies are ideal for anyone who loves Japanese-inspired desserts, matcha baking, or cookies with a unique sweet and earthy flavor. The combination of green tea, red bean paste, and chocolate makes each cookie rich without being overly sweet. Serve them slightly warm for soft chocolate chunks and tender centers, or let them cool completely for a chewier texture.

Matcha Anko Cookies

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Lisa Kitahara
• Total Time: 1 hour 21 minutes
• Yield: 10 cookies
• Diet: Vegan

Description

Matcha Anko Cookies combine the mellow, earthy bitterness of matcha with sweet red bean paste and rich chocolate chunks. They bake into soft, chewy cookies with lightly crisp edges and a deep green tea flavor.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (113 g) butter + 1 tbsp milk*
• 1/3 cup (66 g) granulated cane sugar
• 3 tbsp (36 g) light brown sugar
• 1 flaxafaba egg**
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp (135 g) all purpose flour
• 1/2 tbsp (4 g) matcha powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup (60 g) chocolate chunks, optional
• 1/2 cup (120 g) red bean paste

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Instructions

1. Brown the butter: Add the cubed butter to a saucepan and melt over medium heat. Once melted, stir continuously and cook until brown specks appear and the butter smells nutty. At this point, there should be little to no foam. Immediately transfer the butter to a heatproof bowl and refrigerate until solid.
2. Make the dough: Add the solidified brown butter and sugars to the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream together for about 1 minute, or until light and fluffy. Add the flaxafaba egg, 1 tablespoon of milk, vanilla, and salt, then beat until combined. Sift in the flour, matcha powder, and baking soda. Mix just until a dough forms. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Add the red bean paste in 1 tablespoon portions around the dough and gently swirl it in with a knife or spatula. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3. Bake: Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Use a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, about 50 to 55 g per cookie, to portion the dough onto the tray. Leave at least 2 inches between each cookie. Bake for 11 to 14 minutes, or until the edges are slightly browned. The centers should still look a little underbaked.
4. Cool: Remove the tray from the oven and bang it gently on the counter for a rippled effect. Let the cookies cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

• * Homemade vegan butter that browns can be used. Miyokos also browns well. This recipe can also be made without brown butter; any plant-based block butter will work.
• ** A regular flax egg can also be used, though the cookies will be slightly less chewy. A chicken egg can also be used.

• Prep Time: 70 minutes
• Cook Time: 11 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Japanese